


and there you'll be, waiting in the dark

by teatin



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Late Night Conversations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25464787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teatin/pseuds/teatin
Summary: “When you think of it that way,” Riven said jokingly. “Aren’t you glad you decided to be a troublemaker for once?”Or: Riven is a rebel loner desperately seeking a human connection. Helia is an aspiring artist fruitlessly searching for his muse. One night, Fate throws them together in the most unexpected of bonding places: a jail cell.
Relationships: Helia/Riven (Winx Club)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	and there you'll be, waiting in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Discordix server's weekly prompt, "we've both been arrested and we're stuck in the same jail cell we won't be bailed out until morning so you might as well tell me your story".

If someone had told Helia that morning that he was going to end the day in jail, he probably would have laughed. All his life, he’d been nothing but a model student, a perfect, well-behaved grandson. And yet, eight hours and one drunken mishap later, there he was, being pushed into a dimly-lit cell at the police station. Served him right for allowing his friends to talk him into their hare-brained schemes but not having the physical endurance to outrun the cops after the fact.

Oh, well. It’s not like there was anything he could do until his grandfather came to bail him out, most likely in the morning. He might as well make himself comfortable for the time being. With that in mind, Helia lowered himself onto one of the benches. That was when he spotted him, and almost jumped in surprise.

In the far corner of the cell was another man. Partially shrouded by the darkness and completely silent, Helia had not noticed him until his vision began to adjust to his poorly-lit surroundings.

The man either didn’t notice him, or was purposely ignoring him, as he remained silent, one knee propped up on the bench, his head resting against the cold linoleum wall. For his part, Helia sat on his own bench on the other side of the cell, weighing his options.

He could say something, but do people really make small talk while detained at a police station? And he didn’t want to risk pissing the man off in case he was bad news. He really didn’t want to add ‘getting assaulted’ on his list of accomplishments for the night.

Still, something about the man intrigued him, and he couldn’t help but steal glances at him every now and then. He was dressed in a simple, if dirty sleeveless shirt, and his jeans were ripped in three different places. His facial features were sharp and angular, not at all marred by the bruise he was sporting on his left eye. His spiky hair was tousled, and his knuckles were bleeding slightly. Helia supposed he really didn’t need to guess what he was jail for.

He shifted ever so slightly on his bench, inching away from the man but hoping against hope that he wouldn’t notice. He tried to occupy himself with thoughts of his unfinished pieces (too many to count), his upcoming exhibition (which he still had absolutely no idea how to approach), but before long, they wandered back to the mysterious man sitting a few feet away from him. His fingers itched; if only they hadn’t taken his sketchbook and pencils away from him, he would-

He shook himself. What the hell has gotten into him? He had just met this potentially dangerous individual, and there he was, fantasizing about drawing the man like a desperate, lovesick fool.

(Even though he’d been suffering from possibly the worst bout of artist’s block for the last few months. But he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on the implications of _that_.)

“If you’re really going to stare,” a voice startled him, husky and low. “Either stare openly, or at least make an effort to be subtle. You’re annoying me.”

“S-Sorry,” Helia said, embarrassed at getting caught. “I didn’t mean to be impolite.”

He wanted to say more, but found himself at a loss, so he repeated, “Sorry.”

A minute moment passed in which neither of them said anything. Finally, Helia mustered up the courage to break the ice. The man hadn’t pummeled him yet for staring, and they were going to be stuck together until morning anyways, might as well try to lessen the tension. “I’m Helia, by the way.”

The man snickered, seemingly amused. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Helia shrugged. “Beats sitting in silence. Talking makes time go faster. Unless you’d rather be left alone.”

The man did not object. Instead, he offered, “Riven.”

“How did you know I was staring? Was I that obvious?”

Riven gave him a look that plainly said how much of an idiot he sounded like. “I’ve lived my entire life looking over my shoulder, one amateur staring at me from two feet away is nothing.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t ask what landed you in here?” Helia asked.

Riven gave him a wry look. “I should be asking you that. From the looks of it, you seem to be one of those preppy types. Old money, well-bred, refined. How did someone like _you_ get arrested? I’m surprised your parents haven’t come to your rescue yet. Are they really letting you slum here with the likes of me?”

Helia was taken aback by the sudden hostility, but resolved to stand his ground. “I never knew my parents. They passed shortly after I was born. It’s just me and my grandfather.”

Something akin to regret flashed through Riven’s features, but it was gone before Helia could dwell on it. “At least you still have family.” He said quietly, suddenly looking somewhat reflective.

“Are you-” Helia began before stopping himself. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry. If you don’t want to talk anymore-”

“I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember. It suits me better that way. People disappoint you less.” Riven said. Helia could tell he was trying to put on an air of nonchalance, but he could hear the loneliness behind the poorly-constructed façade. A loneliness not unlike his own.

Riven shook his head, as if trying to get rid of all trace of sentimentality. Putting on a cocky grin, he turned back to Helia. “What about you, preppy? First time getting arrested, I reckon.”

Helia deflated. “Grandfather is going to be so disappointed.”

Riven waved a hand dismissively. “A little disappointment never killed anyone. Trust me, I know from first-hand experience.”

“I’ve never gotten into trouble before.”

At that, Riven sat up straight, suddenly interested. “Never? I find that hard to believe, even for you.”

Helia shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t see the appeal, I just-”

“You don’t like stepping out of your comfort zone.”

“Well, yes, not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Helia admitted, albeit a bit defensively. “What I meant to say is, I just don’t look forward to the aftermath.”

“What, you’re not enjoying this?” Riven gestured vaguely between them, and Helia had to physically fight a blush threatening to creep up his cheeks.

“I will admit, it’s an… interesting change of pace from what I’m usually used to,” Helia said, carefully eyeing their surroundings. “Though I wish we could’ve met in better circumstances.”

Riven snorted. “You and me? We’re from different worlds, preppy. I doubt we would’ve ever met. You would’ve spent your entire life behind those wrought iron fences, surrounded by other rich folks, attending fancy parties and counting money and whatever else rich people do, and I’d be here in the slums, the kind of people your grandfather warns you against, and we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation. Am I right?”

Helia considered it for a moment. “I suppose you’re right.”

“When you think of it that way,” Riven said jokingly. “Aren’t you glad you decided to step out of your comfort zone and be a troublemaker for once?”

“Yeah,” Helia admitted, and was surprised to find he meant it. “I guess I am.”

Another silence passed between them, but this time, it felt different. The tension and awkwardness had all but dissipated, and Helia felt strangely at ease for someone stuck in a jail cell with a person they’d only met mere minutes prior. Again, he found himself mentally tracing along the curves of Riven’s jawline, memorizing the color of his eyes, the way his biceps flexed with every slight movement of his arms.

Unfortunately for Helia, he’d never had a good poker face. Again he felt heat creep up his cheeks, and hastily turned away, hoping Riven wouldn’t notice. He did. An infuriatingly arrogant smile spread across Riven’s face, and Helia almost cursed himself for inflating the bastard’s ego. He certainly didn’t look like the humble type. The way he carried himself, it was clear he was one of those people who knew exactly how attractive they were and weren’t shy about it.

“I see you’re still staring,” Riven observed, obviously teasing him. “Like what you see?”

Every alarm in Helia’s head was going off at once. _Now what, genius?_ _You can’t just come out and admit you find him attractive. But if you don’t think of something now, he’s going to think you’re a creep and a weirdo._

He settled on, “I’m an artist. We’re taught to observe our surroundings, find interesting things. Memorize the shapes and details. It’s how we improve our craft.”

Riven’s cocky smile continued, undeterred. “So what you’re saying is that I’ve piqued your interest?”

Helia weighed his options, and decided it couldn’t hurt to be adventurous for once. After all, it had worked out quite well for him that night. “Yeah, I am. And you are. Interesting, I mean.”

Riven’s eyes widened a fraction, as if he hadn’t been expecting this answer. He mumbled something non-committally, then busied himself with staring at his nails as if they contained all the answers in the universe. Helia had a sneaking suspicion that Riven wasn’t quite used to anything directed at him that weren’t insults. He was suddenly reminded of the wistful loneliness in his voice earlier, and something within him ached a little.

“This might sound weird since we’re practically strangers,” Helia began hesitantly. Riven had already seen through him, might as well lay all of the cards on the table. “I’m actually working on an exhibition right now, and I’d love to paint you. I’ll pay you, of course, and it won’t take long. A week at most, maybe.”

He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he watched Riven contemplate his proposal. Just when he was starting to worry that he’d been too forward and about to retract his offer with some lame excuse, Riven speaks.

“You really want to paint me?” he asked. “Even though we’ve just met? In a jail cell, no less?”

“Well, yeah,” Helia admitted. “But it’s totally okay if you don’t want to-”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Riven’s mouth, but this time, it looked almost genuine.

“I suppose there’s no harm in stepping out of my comfort zone,” he said meaningfully.

Helia couldn’t help but smile too. He extended a hand. “Do we have a deal, then?”

Riven eyed his outstretched hands for a few seconds, then took it. His grip was firm, his fingers calloused. Helia felt an electrifying sensation run through every atom in his body, and had to stop himself from shivering from the intensity of it.

“We have a deal.”

Somehow, that felt like the beginning of something new.

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and even comments are much desired, appreciated, and cherished.


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